Jewelry clasp



7 Sept. 17, 1929.- H, HEUGAs 4 1,728,905

Jammy CLASP Filed Nov. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fi .4 F5 3 3 9? 6 bcc 6 df AMMQM p 2 H. A. HEUGAS 1,728,905

JEWELRY CLAS P Filed Nov. 9, 1927 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 .lnvenfof' 4 By W i; A Ho 'ney Patented Sept. 17, 1929 PATENT OFFICE HEFI'RI AUGUSTE HEUGAS, F PARIS, FRANCE JEWELRY cizasr Applicationfiled November'9, 1927. Serial No. 232,177, and in m March 1,1927. 4

My invention relates to improvements in snap clasps for bracelets, necklaces and analogous articles of jewelry, of the type in which a male member and a female member are fasn'tened to the respective extremities of the article which are to be joined. 1

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a clasp of the character indicated which shall not only serve to secure free ex- In tremities of the article of jewelry together but also to serve as an automatic adjusting means for determining the length of the said article of jewelry according to the extent to which the male member is inserted into the 1 female member. v

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the clasp and decorate its visible portions that the said clasp will present the aspect of a buckle through which the said arti- 0 cle of jewelry has been passed, that is, the

visible portions of the male and female members of the clasp when assembled are ornamented with a decoration which resembles the structure of the article of jewelry upon whicgi the members of said clasp are fastene My invention is further comprised in cerlates in the accompanying drawing forming,

part of this specification and in which-.-

Fig. 1- is a front elevation of the clasp as mounted upon a bracelet;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the female member of the clasp partly broken -away;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of Fig.3; Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig.'. 3; 7 Fig.7 is a front elevational view of the male member of the clasp; i Fig. 8 is a view lookingfrom the rear in Fig.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view with parts broken away of the male and female members of the clasp in assembled'relation;

Fig. 11 is a front elevational view of a modified form of clasp with parts broken away;

Fig. 12 is a view looking from beneath in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a detail in plan of the female member of this embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly Figs. 1 to 10, the two members of the clasp about to be described are each fastened to the extremity of a loose link bracelet w by means of invisible hinges as is well known in the art and which have not been illustrated since they form no particular part of the present invention.

' The female member (Figs. 3 to 6) comprises a sheath a which is slightly curved and 70. whose outside face a is ornamented in a manner to, represent an assemblage of loose links similar to those constituting the bracelet w enclosed in a frame giving the effect that the bracelet has been passed through the member 7 a as a buckle as shown in Fig. 1. The rear wall a of the sheath a is provided with a centrally disposed opening and terminates in a flat guiding projection a'f at one end. A longitudinally disposed guiding tongue (1*. so (Figs. 3 and 4) is soldered to the interior face of the wall 0?. The upper horizontal wall a of sheath a (Figs. 6 and 10) is slotted substantially throughout its entire length and in said slot is lodged and concealed a small leaf spring 6, rovided near'one end with a projecting catc i-pin N. The said leaf spring is pivoted at the other end on a pin 6 carried by a U-shaped platea soldered to the sheath (1 and closing off one end thereof. The spring 6 is provided with an outwardly proecting push button 6 in the vicinit of the pin 6 The rearwall a of the sheat is'provided with an open slot (1'' opposite the pin 6 The male member of the clasp which slides a within the above described female member (Figs; 7 to 10) comprises a plate 0, of slightly dimensions of the member a are such that it will slide freely within the member a but without lay and in which it is completely conceale when inserted. The rear face 0 of said plate is provided with a groove 0 extending longitudinally with respect thereto and adapted to engage the tongue a when member 0 is inserted in member a for the purpose of preventing loose lay between the said members.- The lower e ge 0* of member a is provided with a series of cavities 0 one side of which terminates abruptly at right angles to the said member whereas the other side is tapered gradually to the rear of said member. The-lower corner of member 0 adjacent said .notches is'chamfered as shown at 0.

When closing the clasp, the chamfered corner 0 raises the pin 6 of spring b and allows the member a to pass. As the member 0 is pushed into the member a the pin 6 slides over and drops into one of the cavities c". When the member 0 has penetrated the member. a to properl adjust the bracelet about the limb upon which it is supported the pin 6 in coming into contact with the abrupt side of the cavity into which it has fallen, opposes opening or lengthening of the bacelet. a c

When it is desired to open'the bracelet it is merely necessary "to slightly raise the spring 5 by thrusting the button b and turn said spring about its pivot b. The catch pin 12 then passes through the slot a" and the parts take the position represented by dotted lines in Fig. 6. This liberates the cavities 0 and allows the male member a to be withdrawn from the female member a. The spring 6 is subsequently put back in place and the clasp is ready for closing and adjusting the length of the article upon which it is provided anew.

In the modification shown in Figs. 11 to 13 an auxiliary spring d is adapted to bear on the spring b near one end which is mounted in exactly the same manner along the wall a as previously described. The end of the spring at is turned over at ri ht angles and riveted to the corner of the emale member a b means of two pins d soldered thereto.

n the edge a of the female member a, which is opposite to that of a, is mounted a locking bar 6 by means of a pivotal hinge e The said locking bar is provided with an openin e and a projecting pin e The edge 0 o the male member 0 is provided throughout its length with a groove 0 with end stop portions 0 and 0 When thelocking bar e is moved to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11 the opening 6 therein slides over a bifurcated pine provided on the member a whereby the said locking bar is maintained in said position through the medium of the elasticity of the said pin. At

=1 the same. time the pin e passes through an opening e provided opposite thereto in member a, the extremity of said pin projecting into the groove 0 It will be obvious from the foregoing that as long as the locking bar is in closed position the male member 0 may slide by means of its groove 0 on the pin a but that it cannot be drawn from the female member a in.- asmuch as an attempted withdrawal causes the stop 0 to come into contact with the pin e of locking bar. It will be noticed that this last described locking means constitutes merely a safety device and does not interfere with the gradual closing of the clasp as previously described.

Obviously many modifications may be made in my invention without departing from the scope thereof since What I claim is 1. In a jewelry clasp of the type described having a male member and a female member, a slot formed in one wall of said female member, a leaf spring disposed in said slot adapted to lie flush with the outer face of said wall, means for pivotally securing one extremity of said leaf spring to said female member at one end of said slot, a catch pin on said spring, cooperatin ratchet teeth carried by said male mem r for locking said male member in said female member automatically in a plurality of positions relative to said female member and an outward ly projecting button carried by said spring for the purpose specified.

2. In a jewelry clasp of the type described having a male member and a female member,

a slot' formed in one wall of said female member, a leaf spring disposed in said slot adapted to lie flush with the outerface of said wall,'means for pivotally securing one end of said leaf spring to said female member at one end of saidslot, adapted to allow said leaf spring to be swung laterally with respect to said slot, a catch pin on said spring, a notch formed in said female member opposite said pin, aplurality of cooperating ratchet teeth formed on said male member for locking said male member in said female member automatically in a plurality of positions relative to said female member and an outwardly extending button carried by said spring for the purpose specified.

3. In a jewelry clasp of the type described having a male member and a female member,

means for automatically locking said male member in said female member in a plurality of positions relative to said female member,

a pivoted locking bar mounted on the exterior of said female member, an elongated groove formed in said male member, stops at the ends of said groove, an opening formed 1n said female member ad acent said bar, and a pm carried by said bar and adapted to pass through said opening and enter said groove for preventing separation of said members upon release of said locking means.

I 5. A safety catch comprising in combination with a male and a female member, a locking bar pivoted to the exterior surface of said female member and adapted to swing through 180 of arc, an elongated groove having closed ends formed in said male member, an opening in said female member adjacent said locking bar, and a pin carried by said locking bar and adapted to pass through said opening and enter said closed.

6. In a jewelry clasp of the type described having a male member and a female member, means for automatically locking said male member in said female member in a plurality of positions relative to said female member, a pivoted locking bar on said female member, a groove formed in said male member, stops at .the ends of said groove, a pin carried by said locking bar and adapted to enter said groove for preventing separation of said members upon release of said locking means, and a bifurcated pin carried by said female member and adapted to retain said locking bar in closed position.

7. In a jewelry clasp of the type described having a male member and a female member,

means for automatically locking said male member in said female member in a plurality of positions relative to said female member, a pivoted locking bar mounted on the exterior of said female member, a groove formed in said male member, stops at the ends of said groove, an opening formed in said female member adjacent said bar, a pin carried by said bar and adapted to pass through said opening and enter said groove for preventing separation of said members upon release of said locking means, a bifurcated pin carried by said female member and an opening formed in said bar adapted to receive said last named pin when said bar is moved to closed position.

8. A safety catch comprising in combination with a maleand a female member, a locking bar pivoted to the exterior surface of said female member and adapted to swing through substantially 180of are, a groove having closed ends formed in said male member, an opening in said female member adjacent said locking bar, a pin carried-by said locking bar and adapted to pass through said groove for the purpose dis opening and enter said groove, abifurcated pin carried by said femalemember and an opening formed in said bar adapted to receive I said last named pin when said baris moved to closed position.

9. In a ewelry clasp of the type described having a male member and a female member, a slot formed in one wall ofsaid female member, a leaf spring disposed in said slot adapted .to lie flush with the outerfaceof said wall,

means for pivotally securing one extremity of said leaf spring to said female member at one end of said slot, a catch pin on said spring, cooperating ratchet teeth carried by said male member for locking said male member in said female member automatically in a plurality of positions relative to said female member, an outwardly projecting button carried by sald spring-and an auxiliary spring fixed to said female member adapted to lie flat on the upper side of said first mentioned spring.-

10. In a jewelry clasp of the type described having a male member and a female member, a slot formed in one wall of said female member, a leaf spring disposed in said slot adapted to lie flush with the outer face of said wall. means for pivotally securing one extremity of said leaf spring to said female member at one end of said slot adapted to allow said leaf' spring to be swung laterally withrespect to said slot, a catch pin on said spring, a notch formed in said female member opposite said pin, a plurality of cooperating ratchet teeth formed on said male member for locking said male member in said female member automatically in a plurality of positions relative to said female member, an outwardly extending button carried by said spring and an auxiliary spring fixed to said female member adapted to lie flat on the upper side of said first mentioned spring.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification'at Paris, France, this 28th dav of October, 1927.

HENRI AUGUSTE HEUGAS. 

